MMA

Dana White: Brock Lesnar considered UFC return

MMAjunkie.com staff

Brock Lesnar considered a return to UFC but decided against it, according to UFC president Dana White.

UFC president Dana White says Brock Lesnar ruled out a UFC return after briefly considering it.
Lesnar hasn't found since a December 2011 loss to Alistair Overeem.
White returned to the WWE after his loss to Overeem.

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar had recently considered a return to the octagon.

But, according to UFC President Dana White, that fleeting possibility is now a distant memory.

White said he and Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) discussed a possible UFC return – and the fight executive even suggested they considered a bout with fellow retired heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko (35-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) – but the former WWE star ultimately decided against it.

"He's done," White told "The Dave and Mahoney Morning Show" on X1075 Las Vegas. "He called me a couple days ago. He's never coming back."

White said there "could be" some validity to reports he tried to put together a bout with Lesnar and Emelianenko, a former PRIDE champion and legendary heavyweight who retired earlier this year following a win over Pedro Rizzo. UFC officials and Emelianenko's management butted heads during past negotiations, and after completing his contract with Strikeforce (which the UFC purchased mid-deal), Emelianenko left the organization this past year.

Lesnar hasn't fought since his December 2011 loss to Alistair Overeem, which followed a 14-month layoff due to complications from diverticulitis.

White said his recent talks with Lesnar made one thing clear.

"He said he can wrestle, but he can't fight," White said. "But he was contemplating coming back."

White, in fact, left open the door for Lesnar's return earlier this year, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported back in May.

Lesnar, who won the UFC title in just his fourth professional fight, was the UFC's top pay-per-view draw during his brief UFC career. But the 35-year-old ultimately returned to the WWE after the Overeem loss, which marked his second straight loss in the octagon.

MMAjunkie.com is an affiliate of USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

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